State/Regional News

Legislative roundup for Jan. 18, 2018 The New Mexican A raise for politicians? The state’s top elected officials are past due for a raise, according to some members of a legislative committee. But Gov. Susana Martinez might not agree to a pay raise for her successor and other politicians. The Legislative Finance Committee has backed a bill to increase the …

Cost of addressing Carlsbad sinkhole could reach $43 million CARLSBAD, N.M. (AP) — Work to prevent a massive sinkhole from opening on the edge of Carlsbad could end up costing more than $40 million, according to a group of experts working on the problem. The Carlsbad Current-Argus reports the new price tag for remediation and other work at a former …

Sophia and Noah are top names for New Mexico babies in 2017 SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Sophia has overtaken Mia as the top name for baby girls in New Mexico, and Noah is the favorite for boys. The New Mexico Department of Health released the list of top baby names Thursday. The list is compiled by the agency’s vital …

New Mexico delegates renew push to limit drilling ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Democratic members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation are renewing their pleas for federal land managers to limit oil and natural gas drilling in the northwestern corner of the state over concerns about archaeological and cultural sites that dot the region. U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and …

‘Get down!’ Gunfire erupts at New Mexico high school By RUSSELL CONTRERAS, Associated Press AZTEC, N.M. (AP) — Heaven Angelica Hughes and her classmates heard loud noises coming from the hallway just before bullets began flying through the window, striking a wall just over one student’s head. “Get down!” her teacher yelled. The 15-year-old freshman fell to the floor and hid …

Pipeline explodes in southeastern New Mexico oil patch LOVING, N.M. (AP) — A pipeline exploded in southeastern New Mexico’s oil patch, closing two highways but causing no reported injuries. Eddy County Emergency Manager Jennifer Armendariz says the pipeline that exploded early Wednesday morning is in a sparsely populated area about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Carlsbad believed to be …

New Mexico AG demands damages from Wells Fargo ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas is demanding damages from Wells Fargo after an investigation showed the financial institution created nearly 19,000 fake and unauthorized bank and credit card accounts in the state. Balderas on Wednesday accused Wells Fargo of victimizing New Mexicans. If a resolution can’t be …

Court gives Congressman Steve Pearce access to campaign cash SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A federal court is allowing Republican U.S. Rep. Steve to access nearly $1 million in campaign funds that he collected while in Congress to use in his run for governor of New Mexico. A U.S. district court judge on Tuesday blocked enforcement of limitations on campaign …

Clovis police: Firefighters find 3 dead inside outbuilding CLOVIS, N.M. (AP) — Authorities have released the names of three people found dead inside a burned outbuilding in Clovis and identified a man who survived the fire. Clovis police say the three who died have been identified as 54-year-old John Sandoval, 51-year-old Robert Elebario and 52-year-old Billie Jo Grabowsky. They say …

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Carnival Cruise Line plans to swap ships between Galveston and New Orleans to increase both ports’ capacity for short-term cruises starting in 2019. The Miami-based company says the 3,646-passenger Carnival Dream will move from New Orleans to Galveston, increasing the Texas port’s capacity for 4- and 5-day cruises by 22 percent. At the same time, the …